Section IV. Disability Demographics and Employment Status

Age and Disabilities in Ohio

In 2016, Ohio’s population ages 18 to 34 was approximately 2,522,084. Estimates indicate that 6.9 percent of these individuals experience a disability (U.S. Census – ACS, 2016), which represents 174,618 individuals. The ACS indicates that approximately 72.7 percent of the disability population in Ohio is not working at any given time, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that, of the individuals not working, approximately 9.2 percent are actively seeking work at any given time. Of the individuals with disabilities ages 18 to 34 in 2016, approximately 11,676 individuals were likely to have benefitted from OOD services. In 2016, OOD served 16,179 individuals ages 18 to 34, representing a service rate: need ratio greater than 100 percent for this age group.

ACS estimates indicate that Ohio’s 2016 population ages 35 to 64 was approximately 4,528,611, with 14.6 percent (661,433) of these individuals experiencing a disability. Of these, approximately 44,227 individuals were likely to have benefitted from OOD services. In 2016, OOD served 10,927 individuals ages 35 to 64, representing a service rate: need ratio of approximately 24.7 percent for this age group.

In 2016, the ACS estimated that Ohio’s population ages 65 and over was 1,726,927, with 35.1 percent (606,101) of these individuals experiencing a disability. Individuals in this age group, however, were much less likely to have been actively seeking work than the other groups. As noted in Table 5, approximately 1.7 percent of the individuals in this age group who were not in the labor force were actively seeking work. This equates to approximately 10,546 individuals that could potentially benefit from OOD services. OOD served 766 individuals in this age group in 2016, representing a service rate: need ratio of approximately 7.3 percent.